DEPUTY Prime Minister Manasseh Maelanga together with the Premier of Malaita Province Daniel Suidani and the Australian Deputy High Commissioner, Sally Anne Vincent officially opened the Auki Cable Landing Station for the Domestic Network, Friday.
The Cable Landing Station at Auki is a critical piece of the Solomon Islands Domestic Network infrastructure, housing the Auki end of the 730km submarine fibre optic cable that links Auki up with Honiara, and Honiara with Sydney and the rest of the world.
The Solomon Islands Domestic Network, which also connects to Noro and Taro, will transform internet connectivity in Solomon Islands.
The cable is designed to provide a level of internet capacity more than 6,000 times greater than current internet usage in Solomon Islands.
This will significantly enrich the digital environment, assisting tech enterprises and entrepreneurs, and working to transform the way Solomon Islanders access education, health and government services.
As one of Solomon Islands’ most populous provinces, Malaita Province can benefit greatly from the improved internet connectivity the Coral Sea Cable and the accompanying domestic network will bring.
This significant infrastructure investment will serve to better connect the region, its people, businesses, schools and organisations with the rest of the country and the world.
The cable can provide improved access to educational resources for school children and make available online skills-building and training for school leavers.
Greater internet connectivity also has the potential to allow access to telemedicine options and other civic services delivered online.
The Solomon Islands Domestic Network is part of Australia’s ongoing commitment to the Pacific, and in particular driving prosperity in regional areas such as Malaita Province.
It complements other Australian aid and development initiatives such as funding to the Auki Health Clinic, and the Skills for Economic Growth program which supports vocational training at the Asia Pacific Sustainable Development rural training centre.
Speaking at the event, the Australian Deputy High Commissioner highlighted that this major infrastructure investment will prove transformative for the people of Malaita Province, providing unparalleled opportunities to connect to other regions and the world, to learn, grow skills and access online services.
The Premier of Malaita Province Daniel Suidani said that this cooperation between Solomon Islands and Australia was most welcome and that Auki and Malaita Province looked forward to the opportunities the Coral Sea Cable System would bring.
Both the Coral Sea Cable System and Solomon Islands Domestic Network are majority grant financed by Australia, and are expected to be complete in December 2019, after a robust period of testing, with customers able to access services in early 2020.
